Marie-Pauline Raphaëlle de Rochechouart de Mortemart
Marie-Pauline Raphaëlle de Rochechouart de Mortemart (July 1718 - Present) was a Grandelumièrian noblewoman and Duchesse de Rohan. Her delicately powdered blonde curls, her languorous proud eyes, her sensuous lips and laughing mouth, her caressing hands, her skin with the color and texture of lilies - so her contemporaries breathlessly describe her. She was privately pious, fasted strictly on fast days, and attended church devoutly and frequently. She had a bad temper and a cutting wit. Biography Birth Marie-Pauline Raphaëlle de Rochechouart de Mortemart was born in July 1718, to the Marquis and Marquise de Vivonne. Raphaëlle, or more formally, Mademoiselle de Mortemart, possessed the blood of two of the oldest noble families of Grandelumière through her parents. Infancy Raphaëlle was born in Vienne and spent much of her childhood there. The Marquise de Vivonne made sure her children were brought up with much maternal love and a pious spirit, yet Raphaëlle’s parents were not too often around, both attending court frequently. Coddled and pampered, Raphaëlle would always remember her childhood fondly, the youngest girl in a great brood of children. She spent much time in the company of her nurse Auzanneau, nicknamed Nono. Raphaëlle did the occasional travel to court in Nono’s company. Childhood As Raphaëlle was around 11 or 12 years old, she was given into the care of the Abbaye aux Dames de Saintes. In the convent, Raphaëlle learned all that was deemed essential knowledge for a girl of a good house: how to run a large household, needlework, dancing, writing, reading, some geography, and history. Raphaëlle also seems to have learned how to cook during this time. She was a smart girl with a great talent for words, the famous esprit de Mortemart. Raphaëlle did inherit all the illustrious qualities the de Rochechouart de Mortemart was famous for. Mollycoddled and pampered by the Marquise de Vivonne and collective brothers, as youngest children often are, Raphaëlle had the luxury of her older siblings taking on battles for her, leaving her unable to care for herself adequately. Raphaëlle was hopelessly spoilt on one hand and persistently bullied by her sisters on the other. Adolescence Although her family was very illustrious, the lifestyle of her father caused a little trouble. The Marquis de Vivonne was a man of good tastes and this extended also to women. The entire mistress situation did cost her father a bit of money, which in turn meant that Raphaëlle’s dowry was smaller than it should be for someone of her status. The Marquis de Vivonne passed away in 1731, leaving the Marquise in heavy debt and with 10 unmarried children. The widow made the venture to Paris where she placed her children into the care of her wealthy beau-frère, Louis Chrétien Hercules de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Archevêque de Paris. Cardinal Louis Chrétien had tremendous influence at the court of Marie IV, a man of unrivaled wealth and unquestioned luxury. He saw his nieces as the perfect opportunity to extend his network, and blood, across the vast array of noble-families. Raphaëlle lived in a Hôtel Particulier close to the Louvre, which allowed Mademoiselle de Mortemart to attend the fashionable salons. She was a cultured and amusing conversationalist, who won the admiration of literary figures. In addition, she kept abreast of political events. This had the effect of making her even more appealing to men of intellect and power. She was courted by a number of suitors including Louis de Buade de Frontenac and Charles-Auguste de La Fare. It was during her time at the salons, lulled by flatteries and admiration, that Raphaëlle became known as Boucles d'Or, a homage to her blonde hair. While her elder sisters, known cruelly as La Mortemarette, conquered the Louvre and Argenteuil with their charm, Raphaëlle set about beginning at the bottom, quickly conquering the salon scene. Mademoiselle de Mortemart frequented the salons of Paris regularly in her first years at court. Especially that of the Hôtel Le Tellier. Raphaëlle was amongst those who represented the flower of contemporary Grandelumièrian literature, fashion, and intelligence. There she learned that a woman can have success on her own, never minding adultery if she is smart and charming enough. Personality and Appearance Raphaëlle made quite the impression at court. She was stunningly beautiful, her figure just perfect, her neck and wrists worthy of poetry, her complexion much admired and her long blonde hair almost too much. She fitted the 17th-century idea of beauty perfectly. On top of that her charm, wit, grace, and elegance. Just like her mother, Mademoiselle de Mortemart was also quite pious and prudent thanks to her convent education. Raphaëlle wrote poetry and amused with her words everyone around her. With her blonde hair, white skin and her slanting brown eyes. Boucles d'Or, as she was known to her friends, maintained her beauty with a strict diet, surprising for her time, of chicken and salad, fruit some milk foods and water only occasionally tinctured with wine. From her mother’s side, Raphaëlle inherited her beauty and lush blonde hair. Her father gave her the esprit de Mortemart. The Mortemart were famous for their great wit and witty manner of speech, it ran in their blood. Raphaëlle perfected this gift. It was a mix of many things. A general smartness of the mind, the ability to access a situation quickly and to put it into words that sound pleasant although they might insult, to get away with the insult. Their words were sharp and amusing untruths preferred over truths, their conversation was daring and provoking, yet so charmingly delivered and phrased that it was almost an art. Raphaëlle boasted that she and dullness could never be in the same place at the same time. Raphaëlle was somewhat clever, or certainly had the façade of being so. She had only read one book in her lifetime, and it was called "Déconnexions Inoffensives". Raphaëlle proclaimed that it was so good that she couldn’t possibly read another. Raphaëlle, being the youngest of 10, had a drive for success. She wanted to make a name for herself and not to live in the shadow of her elder siblings (her elder sister Marie-Augustine Laurène was the Princesse de Carignano). Raphaëlle wanted to be very much her own woman, though not to go as far as to be without the company of a man. Indeed she loved her family in a sentimental way, but she rather resented the fame they possessed, and Raphaëlle wasn't going to sit back and disappear into the margins of history. So it wasn't surprising that she had some backward pleasure in seeing her elder sister grow and wither when it came to appearances. Service at Court Becoming Princesse de Soubise Raphaëlle married Louis-Maximilien Frédéric de Rohan, a week after the proposal. The honeymoon was a success. Raphaëlle got pregnant at once. Her dowry of 50,000 livres was trusted over to Xavier Auguste-Henri, while he would provide the newlyweds with a yearly allowance. The couple moved into No.20, Place Royale and Raphaëlle returned to court. Raphaëlle became a fille d'honneur to Empress's belle-soeur, Isabelle Adélaïde, Duchesse d’Orleans who was known at court by the traditional honorific of Madame. Scandal Raphaëlle held an entertainment at the Pavillon de la Reine, in the presence of the Empress herself. Present was the fashionable Madame La Poignard, a popular Chiromancer, and an alleged sorceress. La Poignard displayed questionable readings of those present, including that of Marie Anne d'Espagne. This would lead to a devastating humiliation on all parties involved. La Poignard went into a nonsensical trance and prophesied bad fortune upon the Dauphiné. After this disastrous event, La Poignard was hastily removed from the Imperial presence. Raphaëlle duly apologized to the Empress if any offense was given, she was assured that she was not seen as guilty in any way. Sometime later, while the court was in residence in the Louvre, whispers spread that the same Chiromancer was involved in a Messe Noire. This was proven to be true, Madame La Poignard was discovered along with an abbé and occultist, Abbé Guibourg. Another participant was Raphaëlle's eldest sister, Marie-Antoinette Anne, Sœur Marie de la miséricorde. Raphaëlle did not allow time to grieve for the disastrous downfall of her elder sister, she persuaded her sisters to flee Paris and seek refuge at Château de La Motte de Bauçay. There they laid low for some time before returning to court. Raphaëlle was the only sister to make a private apology to the Empress for any harm that her elder sister had inflicted upon her. She also pleaded her innocence in the entire matter at which the Empress assured her that she'd been pardoned long ago. Becoming Duchesse de Rohan Raphaëlle held the title of Princesse de Soubise until Xavier Auguste-Henri passed away. Frédéric de Rohan inherited the title of Duc de Rohan, which immediately made Raphaëlle the Duchesse de Rohan. Titles, Styles, and Honours * July 1718 - Present Her Ladyship, Mademoiselle de Mortemart * Unknown - Present ''Her Highness, la Princesse de Soubise (Madame de Soubise)'' * Unknown - Present ''Her Highness, la Duchesse de Rohan (Madame de Rohan)'' * "'La Mortemarette" '(Note: Not a style but a nickname given her by contemporaries) Category:House Rochechouart de Mortemart Category:18th Century Births Category:Grandelumierian Nobility